Penske happy to have Logano

Penske Racing had its eyes on Joey Logano in 2011, while it was vetting candidates to replace Kurt Busch in the team’s No. 22 Dodge. A.J. Allmendinger eventually got the ride but lost it in July after failing two drug tests. When the team needed someone to replace interim driver Sam Hornish Jr. for 2013 and beyond, team owner Roger Penske didn’t hesitate to grab the 22-year-old Logano.

The team introduced Logano on Tuesday, Sept. 4, then fielded questions from NASCAR media on Wednesday, Sept. 5. Logano goes to Penske from Joe Gibbs Racing, where he won four poles and two races in 136 career Sprint Cup starts. Once burdened with the nickname “Sliced Bread”—as in “the greatest thing since sliced bread”—Logano had problems living up to other people’s expectations. At Penske, he gets a chance to catch his breath and almost start over.

“I don’t know if Joey knows this, but last year, when we were looking for a driver for the 22 car, I approached (team co-owner) J.D. Gibbs about him,” Tim Cindric, president of Penske Racing, said on Wednesday. “So, Joey was on our radar screen even before this situation. J.D. said he didn’t have anything after (this) year and there were rumors they were possibly going to release him early. J.D. said that wasn’t true; he said he wanted to do whatever he could to keep Joey long term. That was it. We respect the organization and didn’t take it any further.

“But the fact he’s won at the Cup level put him apart from a lot of guys who were available for the 22 seat. He’s presented himself well and is a proven winner at all levels. He’s a good fit, for sure. I felt, and obviously Roger and Brad (Keselowski, driver of the other Penske car in NASCAR) felt, we could provide him with an environment where he could be successful and continue to grow his confidence. We’ve been able to win with the Shell Pennzoil car and we think we can continue to do that.

“Brad mentioned Joey’s name last year as somebody he could work well with. That chemistry is important not only between crew chiefs and guys who work together, but with drivers who can communicate. That’s a big positive to this situation, the relationship those two guys have developed.”

This season, as it became clear that JGR planned to replace Logano with Matt Kenseth, Keselowski encouraged Logano to consider the No. 22 ride. “Brad played a big role in getting me here, getting the meeting with Roger,” Logano said. “Even before we became teammates, I had a good relationship with him. We talked about things and I bounced ideas off him and asked what he thinks. He was the one who said, ‘Hey, you might want to talk about this; this is a great opportunity for you.’ That means a lot, having a teammate who really wants you, who you can work with.

“I’d sort of seen it coming (being replaced by Kenseth at JGR). There were rumors about (his job security) for the past three years. It’s in my best interest to be proactive, to look out and see what’s there. It’s a great opportunity for me to come here and have a fresh new start. It’s going to be a lot of fun, and I’m excited for the opportunity. I think we’re going to do great things. Relationships with teammates are more important than most people think.”

After much public turmoil—first, Kurt Busch’s televised meltdown last fall at Homestead, then Allmendinger’s drug issues in the summer—Penske was ready for a high-character driver who wouldn’t embarrass his sponsors and his company. They have that in Logano, a fan- and sponsor-friendly, low-risk, well-behaved, media-savvy and thoroughly energetic young man. “His character is proven,” Cindric said of Logano. “I think Sam and Joey represent our brands and Penske Racing very well. It’s certainly a positive and something I think we have to get right as we go forward. It’s our responsibility to ensure that happens, and we’re confident Joey will represent that as well as anyone else.”

Among the other topics addressed during the press conference:

—Despite being passed over for the No. 22 ride in Cup, there will be a place for Hornish at Penske Racing next year. Cindric feels confident Hornish and crew chief Todd Gordon will keep getting better in both Nationwide and Cup. “A third full-time Cup team (for Hornish) would certainly be our first preference,” Cindric said, “but it’s pretty late in the season. The potential we had for sponsorship hasn’t come to fruition. You’ll see him in a couple of (Cup) races, but we haven’t been able to build on that. As far as a full-season Nationwide, that’s what I envision. He’s done a great job in Cup, picking up where we needed to go from Daytona Beach in July (when Allmendinger was suspended). He’ll continue in the 22 car the remainder of the year.”

—Logano said he’s become “pretty tough” handling rumors and speculation, many of them publicly hurtful. “I’ve been dealt a couple of tough hands,” he said. “Most of those rumors you hear probably aren’t true. You learn how to be tough and stay confident. It was very difficult at first because I didn’t know how to do that, but I had some help and surrounded myself with good people to help me deal with that.”

—There’s virtually no chance Logano will move to the No. 22 Dodge during this season. “It’s not something we’ve really even considered,” said Cindric. “It would be a pretty complicated situation. All our sights are set on starting 2013 fresh in Daytona Beach.”

—Logano admitted the ongoing uncertainty about his future has been a distraction. “Well, yes and no (because) it’s been tough not talking about it (to the media),” he said. “You guys do a great job of asking questions. But once this was done, it’s all about the racing. I feel I did a good job at the track, focusing on my car and not thinking about this. During the week, I was able to think about my future.”

—And, finally, Logano’s close-up impressions of Penske: “He has a capability to intimidate you if he wanted to,” he said. “He’s a down to earth guy, somebody very involved in his racing stuff. He wants to know what’s going on all the time. He’s called me a few times. He called last night to make sure everything is going smooth. It’s cool to have an owner that involved, who cares and knows what’s going on. It’s an honor to work for someone who’s won as many races on different levels and different types of cars. It’s pretty awesome.”